Jesus is delivered to Pilate, rejected in favour of Barabbas, mocked by the soldiers, and crucified at Golgotha. Darkness covers the land. He cries out the opening of Psalm 22 and gives up the spirit. The veil of the temple is torn from top to bottom. The centurion confesses, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” Joseph of Arimathaea buries him.
1–15 Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered, “So you say.” The chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled. Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them. Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead. Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!” Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and delivered Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.
16–20 The soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they called together the whole cohort. They clothed him with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him. When they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him.
21–32 They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his cross. They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it. Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take. It was the third hour, and they crucified him. The superscription of his accusation was written over him, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” With him they crucified two robbers; one on his right hand, and one on his left. The Scripture was fulfilled, which says, “He was numbered with the transgressors.” Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” Those who were crucified with him also insulted him.
33–39 When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” One ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down.” Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
40–47 There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate marveled if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead long. When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. He bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid.
Source: ebible.org
The whole council delivers Jesus to Pilate. “Are you the King of the Jews?” “So you say.” The chief priests accuse him of many things; he makes no further answer. At the feast the crowd chooses Barabbas, the insurgent and murderer, over the King. Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, releases Barabbas and delivers Jesus to be crucified. The leaders of the people reject the Son. The Gentile governor yields to the pressure. The King of the Jews is handed over to the cross. The rejection that began in Nazareth and continued in the confrontations of the temple reaches its climax. The generation that will not pass away until all the things of the Olivet Discourse happen is the generation that crucifies its King.
The soldiers clothe him in purple, crown him with thorns, salute him, strike him, and lead him out. Simon of Cyrene bears the cross. At Golgotha he is crucified. The superscription reads: THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers are crucified with him; the Scripture is fulfilled that says he was numbered with the transgressors. Those who pass by blaspheme: you who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself. The chief priests and scribes mock: he saved others; he can’t save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down that we may see and believe. The mockery is the truth inverted. He is the King. He will not come down. The temple of his body will be raised in three days. The stone temple will fall within that generation. The ransom is being paid. The many are being redeemed.
From the sixth hour to the ninth there is darkness over the whole land. At the ninth hour he cries with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” — My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The opening of Psalm 22 is the cry of the righteous sufferer. The psalm itself moves from abandonment to vindication and to the worship of the nations. He cries out again and gives up the spirit. The veil of the temple is torn in two from top to bottom. The barrier that separated the Holy of Holies from the people is removed by God from above. The old sanctuary’s central symbol of restricted access is finished. The way into the presence of God is opened by the death of the Son. Hebrews will later say that we have boldness to enter by the new and living way he consecrated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh. The tear from top to bottom is the divine verdict: the old order’s barrier is over.
The centurion who stands opposite him, seeing how he breathed his last, says, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” The Gentile soldier confesses what the chief priests and the crowd denied. The title that marked the beginning of the Gospel — the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God — is spoken at the foot of the cross by a representative of the nations. The mission that will go to the whole creation already has its first clear confession from outside Israel’s leadership. The King of the Jews is the Son of God. The ransom for many includes the nations.
Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who was looking for God’s Kingdom, boldly asks Pilate for the body. He wraps it in linen and lays it in a rock-hewn tomb. A stone is rolled against the door. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses see where he is laid. The third day is still to come. The work of the cross is complete. The veil is torn. The Son of God has given his life as a ransom for many. We enter with boldness by the new and living way. The old sanctuary order has been decisively ended by God himself. The resurrection will vindicate the cry of Psalm 22 and the confession of the centurion. The generation that crucified him will see the empty tomb, the risen Lord, and the fall of the house whose veil was torn when he died.
The veil is torn. The way is open. The Son of God has given his life as a ransom for many. We enter with boldness by the new and living way he has consecrated for us. The old sanctuary’s barrier is finished. The King of the Jews is the Son of God. The many have been redeemed.
How does the torn veil, from top to bottom, confirm that the old sanctuary order has been decisively ended by God himself?